The legend of Boureni

Dragos Voda, the nobleman of Maramures left for a hunting and decided to cross the
Carpathians to reach the open fields of that area. There that a bison appeared in front of him and his
archers and they started to follow it. Finally they reached the bison and started to chase it towards
the river. The hunters were accompanied by Dragos pet dog whose name was Molda.
The bison threw itself into the river and was killed by the bowmen, while the dog also
jumped into the whirlpool being swallowed by
the waters. Full of sorrow, Dragos ordered that
the river was called Moldova and then he
continued his way downstream. In memory of
that case on the river, the nobleman decided to
establish an independent state, Moldova, on that
territory; later on Moldova won its independence
from the Hungarian domination with blood. This
year it is the 655th anniversary from that event.
The history of Gura Humorului is full of legend. One of the legends speaks about the
Tartars passing through these places in the times of the Great Invasion from the year 1241, when
they found the waters of Moldova risen because of the rainfalls and they named it Homor, which
means the quick one.
The fact that the p lace has kept its name for centuries demonstrate that here there is a
human community that has had continuity of life.
Then it is mentioned the killing of the bison by Dragos on the place called that today is
called Boureni, located on the right bank of Humor, and Bogdan's passage through the eastern
extremity of the city, what is now called Bogdaneasa.
Later, all the legends remind us about Daniil the Hermit who, after leaving the Putna
Monastery, and would dig a cell in Piatra oimului(The Eagles Rock), above Arinis, before
becoming the abbot of the Voronet Monastery.
And, in the 16th century, it is said Petru Rares wife, Lady Helen, would have buried the royal
treasury in the palce called the Ladys Rocks, located on Toaca Hill which guards the city from the
west.